Samsung donates thermal imaging cameras to firefighters in Vietnam

Tran Trung Tranh, second from left, deputy chief of the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department, shakes hands with Choi Joo-ho, head of Samsung Electronics' Vietnamese manufacturing complex, at a ceremony to hand over 300 donated IGNIS thermal imaging cameras, Friday. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Jun Ji-hye

Samsung Electronics has donated 300 IGNIS thermal imaging cameras to firefighters in Vietnam in a bid to help improve efficiency and safety in fire prevention and rescue activities there.

The official donation was made Friday and is part of a collaborative effort between Samsung Electronics Vietnam and the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department, according to the tech giant.

Van Son Nguyen, Vietnam's deputy minister of public security, and Choi Joo-ho, head of Samsung Electronics' Vietnamese manufacturing complex, attended the event along with other senior officials from Samsung Electronics Vietnam. Also in attendance were representatives from departments and agencies under Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security and the management boards of the Public Security Departments from 11 provinces that will receive the cameras.

Samsung's IGNIS thermal imaging cameras help firefighters to both rescue those in danger and keep themselves safe during operations as they are capable of detecting ignition points, locating victims, identifying terrain and indicating paths to be avoided.

The 350-gram wearable cameras are highly water, dust and heat resistant.

“Fire prevention and rescue activities are pivotal in every nation for saving lives and assets of citizens,” Choi said. “We are pleased to know that local firefighters will be equipped with our cameras, which will help them carry out their duties and protect public safety.”

The Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department plans to organize training courses for officers and firefighters on how to use the cameras.

In November 2017, Samsung Electronics donated 1,000 thermal imaging cameras to firefighting units in Korea. Now, they are used by police officers and firefighters in 18 cities and provinces here.

The IGNIS thermal imaging camera was developed by Samsung Tomorrow Solutions as part of a social contribution project and open idea contest that began in 2013. The project invites people to produce and submit designs and ideas that can change society for the better.

Han Gyeong-seung, a firefighter in Korea, submitted the idea of a thermal imaging camera based on his firefighting experience, which found that conventional thermal observation devices were too heavy and expensive to be given to each firefighter.

He was provided with prize money and additional research funds as well as a team of support engineers at C-Lab ― Samsung's idea generation and entrepreneurship program ― to help bring his idea to life.